U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial

The U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, commonly known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, depicts one of the most famous events of World War II, but is dedicated to all Marines who have died defending the United States since 1775. The base of the Memorial is inscribed with the statement “Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue.”

Interesting Facts:

The soldiers commemorated in the statue are in the same positions depicted in the historic photograph taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal.

The Memorial is 78 feet tall, so the rifles are actually 12 and 16 feet long, and the canteen would hold 8 gallons of water.

When the statue was being designed, the three surviving soldiers from the photos posed for the sculptor.

Casting the statue in bronze was a three year process.

The statue was actually transported to Washington, D.C., in a dozen pieces and then bolted and welded together.